Combination lock with rotating tumbler discs



March 2, 19 18; v, J, ERAS COMBINATION LOCK WITH ROTATING TUMBLER DISCS FiledSept. 28, 1945' Gil.

Patented Mar. 2, 1948 COMBINATION LOCK WITH ROTATING TUMBLER DISCS Vincent Joseph Marie Eras, Dordrecht, Netherlands, assignor to Lips Brandkasten-en Sloten-. fabrieken N. V., Dordrecht, Netherlands Application September 28, 1945, Serial No. 619,062 In the Netherlands November 17, 1942 Section 1 Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 17, .1962

Claims. 1

(which is clearly stipulated in the directions for use) that when closing the lock the operating member forthe discs in the lock (commonly called cipher disc knob") has to be rotated at least as many turns or preferably still morethan the number of discs in the lock, hence for a lock with four discs five complete revolutions.

Most of the users of these locks which generally are applied to safes and doors for strong-rooms for protecting high values, are not technically minded and do not know what occurs with the locking mechanism Within the housing of the look when the cipher knob at the outside of thedoor is rotated.

When using these locks they perceive that when the cipher knob has been turned back one revolution, it is no morepossible to open'the lock so that the user is of opinion that'the lock is properly locked. When rotating the cipher knob over only one turn this has, however, the effect that only one (the last) locking disc is removed from its opening position while all of the other discs rest in place. When trying the ciphers from 1 to 100 on the cipher disc knob it will be possible to open the lock as soon as one meets with the set cipher which lies between 1 and 100.

This danger is not imaginary. It has been found toexist in actual practice.

The object of the present invention is an improved combination lock, which renders it absolutely impossible that the described danger occurs.

According to the invention a member'is provided which during the opening movement of the bolt is brought into a position from which it is adapted to be moved by weight action during the closing movement of the bolt, the member during the latter movement coming in contact with the discs and thereby radically embroiling them, or rotating them out of order with respect to each other.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention said member comprises a weight to which one or more pawls are pivoted which are urged in an initial position and are adapted to co-operate with notches or teeth of the discs. 7

The pawls may be provided with weights urging them always to the same position.

This construction has the advantage that the mechanism which has to be added to a combination lock of known construction is free from springs. This advantage is of importance assaid combination locks, already without a mechanism according to the invention, operate without springs. A look which does not depend on spring action is always to be preferred.

Further details of the construction will be explained with reference to a preferred embodiment which is shown in the drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a rear view of a lock ac-.

cording to the invention in the opened position.

Figure 2 represents a similar rear view with the lock in the closed position,and

Figure 3 is a side view of the member according to the invention which 'embroils the discs.

The bolt l is pivoted to a lever 2. The bolt l is further provided with a tail 3 which is adapted to co-operate with a bell crank lever 4. A pin 5 forms a guide for a weight 6 to which is pivoted, in the embodiment shown in the drawing, one single pawl 8 rotatable on a shaft 9 and which is urged intoan initial position by a weight I. Said pawl 8 is adapted to co-operate with notches 10 in the locking discs II which are provided with one or more recesses l2 in such a way that a cam 13 of the arm 2 may engage said recesses.

A tumbler which is pivotally arranged on a pivot I4 has an arm I5 formed as a catch and another arm l6 which is operated by the closing arm .2.

A cam disc ll is screwed on the shaft 25 of the disc H (which may be three, four or more in number) and is locked by a key [8. At the outside of the lock said shaft 25 bears the so-called letteror cipher knob. Hence the cam disc I1 is rotated by turning said knob. A hook 211 of the arm 2 may fall into a recess I9 of the cam disc l1. When turning the disc I! in clockwise direction, the hook 2a is raised on the cam Ila of the disc ll.

When opening the look a cam 20 of the disc I! pushes against the hook 2a which then has fallen into the recess 19. The cam [3 of the arm 2 has entered the recesses of the discs I I, which recesses are then lying in line one behind the other. In this way, when turning the disc ll anti-clockwise 3 the bolt is shifted into the opened position (Fig. l).

This is possible when the right combination has been adjusted, that is to say, when 'thediscs II are adjusted by a letteror cipher knobin such a way that all of the recesses I2 in the disc I I are in line and the cam I3 of the arm 2 may fall into position the tail 3 of the bolt" has-pushed the weight member 6 upwards along the pin- 5 by means of the bell crank lever 4. The weight member 6 is caught by the hook I5; which catches tothe present in- .4 Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a combination lock including a bolt and ro'tatable locking discs 'inou'nted' on a shaft,

means for embroiling the discs comprising a weight mounted adjacent the discs, a guiding means for the weight arranged to restrict it to an up-and-down movement adjacent the periphery of the discs, means actuated by the bolt upon itsmovement to open position for raising the .weight to an elevated position in the lock, a

the Weight member 6 under an extension 2| and positively holds the same. As long as the bolt of the lock is in'the opened-position the hook Iii cannot release the weight 6. When raising the weight 6 the pawl 8 is pushed-back and does-not move the discs II. l r a g If now thelock is closed again, the disc I! in Fig. 1 is turned to the right. Campushes against a part 22in the'direction of the closed position of the bolt, Part 22 is connected to the bolt I. The hook; 2a is raised by the cam sur iace of the disc I'l.- During this movement the arm I6 is" pushed upwardsso that the hook I5 is forced to release the weight member 6.

r ,When the weight member 6 is released it falls due to the force of gravity, and during its fall the weight I carried thereby urges the pawl 8 toward the discs II; 'As a result 01 the falling of the weight member 6 and the action of the weight 'I on the pawl 8, the discs are hit abruptly at the notches II) by the pawl 8 andsubjected to a beating action. The discs are readily rotatable on the shaft 25, and therefore when they are hit or abruptly engaged by the pawl 8 as the weight member 6 falls,- the discs rotate on the shaft and also relative to each other so that their recesses. I2 are thrown out ,Of alignment with each other;

If desired a separate pawl 8 may be arranged for'each of the discs II. The periphery of the discs may be provided with teeth instead of the notches I0. Bothmeans may also be combined. If'notches II! have been applied it is preferable to drill one or more holes 23 in the discs opposite said notches in 'discs II.

The pawls 8 may be adjusted such that they catch the discs in places which'do not lie in line. In this way the embroiling action is improved still;

It appears that it is necessary to turn the operating knob only about one-third of a revolution to thoroughly embroil or throw the discs out of order instead of the necessity of giving five complete revolutions to the cipher knob as was necessary up to now.

order to balance completely saidcatch for holding the weight in its elevated position, means on the weight for engaging the periphery of the" discs to rotate them when the weight falls, and means actuated by the bolt upon its movement to closed position for releasing said icatch and permitting the weight to fall, whereby\ the falling of said weight rotates the discs and thoroughly embroils them.

2. In a combinationlock as defined by claim 1 in which the means on the weight for engaging the periphery of the discs comprises a pawl.

3. In a combination look as defined by claim 1 in'which the means on the weight for engagin the periphery of the discs comprises a pawl pivoted to the weight, and a weight on the pawl for actuating it toward the discs.

4; In a combination look as defined by claim 1 in which the discs are each provided with a peripheral notch for engagement by the means on the weight for engaging the periphery of the discs, each disc being provided with a hole on the opposite side of the shaft from the notch so that each disc is balanced.

5. In a combination lock including a bolt and rotatable locking discs mounted on a shaft, means for embroiling the discs comprising a weight mounted adjacent the discs, a guiding means for the-weight arranged to restrict it to an up-anddown movement adjacent the periphery of the discs, a tail on thebolt, means actuated by the tail upon movement of the bolt to open position for raising the weight to an elevated position in the lock, a catch for holding the weight in its elevated position, means on the weight for engaging the periphery of the discs to rotate them when the weight falls, an arm pivoted to the bolt, and means actuated by the arm upon movement of the bolt to closed position for releasing said catch and permitting the weight to fall, whereby the falling of said weight rotates the discs and thoroughly embroils them.

VINCENT J OSEPH MARIE ERAS.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Roshon Sept. 30, 1919 

